As many as half of all the maintained schools in some areas are expected to go into financial deficit this year, putting councils in an “utterly untenable and unsustainable” position and “jeopardising” education.
Policy experts said the dire situation could “force” local authorities to “relinquish” their maintained schools to balance the books, with the government keen for new powers to allow academy conversions en-masse.
Brighton and Hove, the local authority with the fewest academies in the country, expects at least 30 of its 62 maintained and faith schools to end the current financial year in deficit.
Only 14 of its schools were in deficit in April.
